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Stade Reims midfielder Azor Matusiwa has named Olympique Marseille star Alexis Sanchez as his toughest opponent, snubbing Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) duo Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe.
Les Parisiens have missed out on the UEFA Champions League yet again, losing against Bayern Munich in the Round of 16. However, they are on course to defend their Ligue 1 title as they enjoy an eight-point lead atop the table with six games left.
Messi and Mbappe have undoubtedly been two of PSG's best players this campaign. The latter leads the Ligue 1 goalscoring charts with 22 goals and is hopeful of winning the golden boot for the fifth straight season. Meanwhile, no player has provided more assists than the Argentinian (15) in the French top-flight this term.
Matusiwa, though, snubbed both Messi and Mbappe as he named the best player he has faced. The Reims midfielder surprisingly named Marseille's 34-year-old attacker Alexis Sanchez as his toughest opponent.
"Not even Messi or Mbappe actually," Matusiwa told Voetbal Zone. "I found Alexis Sanchez really impressive. We played against him last month and he has been my best opponent so far. When you see how smart that man is, so much experience, really great."
Matusiwa continued:
"He is very small, but wins every header. In addition, you can hardly get him off the ball, which surprised me. He also scored twice that game, so we lost 1-2. The free kick he scored was in no way tenable. I really did not expect that he is still so good."
Sanchez has been in fine form for Marseille this season, bagging 16 goals and two assists from 38 appearances across competitions.
Azor Matusiwa helped Stade Reims keep Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe at bay
Stade Reims are one of three teams PSG have failed to beat in Ligue 1 this season. The league clashes between the two sides in October and January ended in 0-0 and 1-1, respectively.
Lionel Messi, who missed the goalless draw due to an injury, was largely quiet in the 1-1 draw. Kylian Mbappe, meanwhile, struggled to make an impact despite starting both games. Only Neymar managed to get on the scoresheet for Les Parisiens in those matches.
Azor Matusiwa impressed for Reims, helping them earn two points against Christophe Galtier and Co. The Dutchman, though, could not prevent his team from suffering a 4-0 defeat against PSG last season. Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe grabbed an assist each that day.
